Country Italian Bean Soup Recipes

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse dry beans.
• In a Dutch oven combine rinsed beans and 5 cups cold water.
• Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.
• In a slow cooker combine beans, 4 cups water, onion, tomatoes, bouillon, garlic, the 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and pepper.
• Cook, covered, on high or 5-6 hours until beans are tender.
• Thaw green beans and stir into soup.
• Cook about 30 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, stir together margarine,garlic powder, Parmesan, and 1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
• Spread on 1 side of each bread slice.
• Broil 4 to 5 inches from oven broiler for.
• 45 to 60 seconds or until crisp and light brown.
• Watch carefully.
• To serve, ladle soup into bowls.
• Float 2 pieces of herb toast atop each bowl of soup.
• Serve immediately with extra Parmesan.
• You can also add chopped ham, Italian sausage that you brown first, or leftover beef roast.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• For the beans, Cut the pancetta into 1 inch thick slices, 2 inches long.
• In a large stock pot, cook the pancetta over medium heat until golden brown in color, then add the quartered onion, whole garlic cloves, and cook a couple of minutes in the oil rendered from the pancetta.
• Add the beans (drained), bay leaf, and 12 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for about an hour and a half, or until the beans are almost tender.
• Remove from the heat, cover and let site 30 minutes.
• Drain the beans reserving the cooking water, and remove the bay leaf, onion, and garlic cloves.
• For the soup, heat the oil in the stock pot, and once hot add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
• Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, then add the cooked beans, rosemary sprig, and 5 cups of the cooking liquid.
• Cook on low for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the rosemary sprig and discard.
• Remove 1/3 of the bean mixture and pulse in a food processor until creamy.
• Alternately, you could use a wand blender and blend part of the beans.
• Return the pureed beans to the pot, and mix.
• Serve the soup in bowls, with a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkling of cracked black pepper on each.
• Sprinkle a little fresh herbs just before serving.

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, saute the onion, potato and celery in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, beans, tomatoes, parsley and pesto. Bring to a boil. Stir in pasta. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until pasta is tender, 10-15 minutes. , Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the capicola, red onion and minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, 2 cups water, the parmesan rind, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind.
• Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread; rub both sides with the whole garlic clove and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Stir the escarole into the soup and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Top each serving of soup with a piece of toast. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

COUNTRY ITALIAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Cook bacon in large saucepan over medium-high heat, 3 minutes or until crisp; drain. Add onion; cook 3 minutes or until soft. Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, olives, pepper, beans, and diced tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

ITALIAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• To cook the beans, follow the method page 110, adding the olive oil and a sachet made with the rosemary, thyme, sage, and garlic to the cooking liquid. (If using canned beans, skip this step.)
• To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onions, fennel, and a pinch of salt, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, potato, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, then add the sage, thyme, and saffron and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
• Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth to deglaze the pot and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the remaining 7 1/2 cups broth and the beans, then lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the beans are heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, basil, and another 1/4 teaspoon of salt and serve right away.
• variation
• For a more southern Italian flair and some added lycopene, add 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes (drained) after you add the garlic. Since tomatoes are naturally acidic, skip the lemon juice.
• rebecca's notes
• This is a soup that swings well both ways, as a hearty soup or as a blended soup. If you serve it blended, top it with a generous amount of Parsley Basil Drizzle (page 187) for extra yum.
• storage
• Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
• nutrition information
• (per serving)
• Calories: 275
• Total Fat: 4.5g (0.7g saturated, 3g monounsaturated)
• Carbohydrates: 48g
• Protein: 12g
• Fiber: 11g
• Sodium: 680mg

ITALIAN BEAN SOUP WITH GREENS

Steps:

• In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, celery and garlic; cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender.
• Stir in beans, tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and broth. Cover; simmer 30 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Increase heat to medium; stir in spinach. Cover; cook 3 to 5 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted. Ladle soup into bowls; top each with cheese.

CHEF JOHN'S TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add butter; allow butter to melt. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook and stir until onion begins to turn translucent and golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 more minute. Add beans and broth. Season with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Set heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Place bread cubes in a saute pan. Drizzle with olive oil; season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toast bread cubes over medium heat until golden brown and crunchy, tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese over the bread cubes and continue to brown cubes about 2 more minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender until it is very smooth. Whisk in creme fraiche. Stir in lemon juice. Serve topped with browned bread cubes and chopped parsley.

COUNTRY BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Wash beans and place in large kettle.
• Cover with water and soak overnight.
• Drain beans.
• Add water and ham or pork hocks.
• Bring to a boil and simmer slowly at least 3 hours.
• Add remaining ingredients and simmer one hour.
• Remove bones and any large pieces of fat and if there are large chunks of meat, shred them and return them to the pot.

COUNTRY ITALIAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the sausage, onion and celery until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Add the water, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in zucchini; simmer 8-10 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.

ITALIAN VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Place ground beef in a large soup pot. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in onion, celery, carrots, garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, water and bouillon. Season with parsley, oregano and basil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in cabbage, corn, green beans and pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente. Add more water if needed.